97-Year-Old Luther Radway of Palm Bay is Oldest Health First Patient to Receive Heart Valve Replacement

Health First Cardiothoracic Surgeon DR. MATTHEW CAMPBELL founded Holmes Regional Medical Center’s structural heart program

Last year, The Heart Center at Holmes Regional celebrated its 1,000th successful TAVR procedure. This year the center is on track to perform almost 300 more. Luther Radway of Palm Bay was home the next day. “I thought they would open my chest, but my cardiologist said, ‘No, we don’t do that anymore.’ ”

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Life expectancy in the United States took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is still the case that many Americans are living longer lives – much longer.

There are about 100,000 centenarians living in the United States today, a number that is more than double what it was just a generation ago. Incredibly, population researchers at the U.S. Census Bureau expect this number to quadruple over the next 30 years. 

One Palm Bay man happy to join the ranks is Luther Radway. The Jamaica-born, retired New York City medical physicist moved to Florida as a much younger man in his 60s. His long life would have seemed inconceivable as a child growing up on an island, he says, where the drinking water was untreated, and he received his first toothbrush at the age of 12.

“I think it’s by the grace of God that I am here talking to you.”

Radway never misses a doctor’s appointment. He is an evangelist for modern medicine, so when his Health First Cardiologist, Enrique Polanco, MD, told him that his aortic valve would need to be treated, he was happy to make a care plan.

In May, he became the oldest Health First patient to undergo a minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) to address aortic stenosis.

Minimally Invasive TAVR

Radway, like many older Americans, suffers from aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the valve opening due to calcification. Blood cannot flow normally. It can lead to heart failure.

Health First Cardiothoracic Surgeon Matthew Campbell, MD, started the structural heart program at Holmes Regional Medical Center, and the Heart Center began performing transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVRs) in July 2015.

“When patients’ aortic stenosis becomes symptomatic, when their grade becomes ‘severe,’ it’s a very short period of time – 1 to 2 years – that their chances of survival become slim if left untreated,” Dr. Campbell says.

Patients who have been diagnosed with aortic stenosis may have symptoms that include shortness of breath, dizziness, difficulty walking short distances, and a decline in activity level or reduced ability to do normal activities.

“TAVR is the best way to cure severe aortic stenosis in older patients,” Dr. Campbell says.

Last year, The Heart Center at Holmes Regional celebrated its 1,000th successful TAVR procedure. This year, the center is on track to perform almost 300 more.

Health First’s structural heart program offers a broad range of FDA-approved options for valvular heart disease, from minimally invasive surgical solutions to transcatheter ones, such as TAVR, Mitraclip and more.

TAVR procedures are minimally invasive. Patients typically go home the next day. It’s low risk and promises a quick recovery.

“TAVR is especially useful in patients who are older than 70 or 75 years because recovering from the procedure is minimal,” Dr. Campbell says. “We return patients to their normal life ASAP.”

The Secret to a Long Life

Radway is the oldest TAVR recipient yet, but Dr. Campbell said that many patients older than 90 are approved for it. What distinguishes this group is that severe aortic stenosis is the main factor limiting their quality of life.

A full workup of Radway’s heart – echocardiogram, CT scan, cardiac catheterization and labs – showed him to be in good cardiac condition and ideal for TAVR. 

What’s the secret to his longevity? Dietary moderation, daily exercise, and a grandfather who lived to be 103, Radway says. And “listen to your doctors – make your appointments.”

Before vacationing this summer, he asked his cardiologist for permission to travel, such is his regard for Dr. Polanco and his heart care. Yes, he was told, but “don’t drink any rum.”

“Well, I’m going to Jamaica. That’s very hard to do!” he told his doctor.

Did he?

“No, I didn’t drink any rum.”

Today, Radway visits Health First’s Cardiac Rehab program twice weekly where he gains strength and endurance by performing aerobic exercise monitored by exercise specialists certified in cardiac rehabilitation.

Dr. Campbell says people who experience new physical limitations over 3 to 6 months, such as shortness of breath doing activities they performed without issue one year earlier, should make an appointment with a cardiologist.

If you’re considering cardiovascular services, from valve replacement to heart rhythm pacing, to developing a personalized heart health plan, visit HF.org/heart. There, take a quick, anonymous heart risk quiz.

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